Frank Miscione

I’m glad you like the blog.

As to issues with ultramarine and lead white, it reminds me of the old saying that in theory, reality and theory are the same, but in reality, they are not. Theoretically, the sulphur in ultramarine (and also found at trace levels in the air) should turn lead white black. In reality, that is simply not known to happen. Artists have been mixing ultramarine with lead white for many centuries, and I am unaware of a single case in which any defects could be attributed to a reaction between those two pigments. So it’s just not something to worry about, in my opinion.

No, I haven’t made sun-thickened leaded oil. At some point I will. I do have some of Doak’s sun-thickened walnut oil (which is very, very thick).

I don’t see any recepies in any of my studies that use a cooked oil for a ground, I could be wrong, but I don’t remember any.

In Italy during Titian’s time different regions had different methods for priming, the Venitians used a oil/chalk ground. (true gesso, then lead white on top)

The lead used from the mid 19 century on back is different than what we have now. Now we have a very industrial processed product.

Have you ever tried a lead oil in made in the sun?

It takes month or more to make dries like black oil and is lighter than linseed.

I haven’t seen any evidence that a black oil primer would cause drying that is too fast. It seems to be the case that early oil painters used oils treated with lead and other metals, and their work is often in very good shape. Black oil/lead white primer does dry with a warm tone, which I like in a primer (not a mixing white).

Also it will yellow with time as black oil makes whites yellow.

All of Maroger’s painting have become darker. some have become so dark you can hardly see them. They look like they had been painted at night in a dark room.

I just used it as a medium, I did not mix my colors with it.

The problem with Maroger medium is its not stable. I have a friend who lives in Arizona, you can’t use it out there as its to hot. The stuff keeps getting soft in the summer and hardening in the winter, promoting craking, and the paintings became dust magnets.

I had the same thing happen to me and I don’t live in the South West, the paintings cracked because of movement.

I have also made sun oil with lead, so you get a drying oil but its not dark. This worked real well.

I still use sun thickended oil.

Yeah you can simulate an Titian’s palette, I use a palette that is kind of like this. Although tin lead and vermillion(if its real I think it has mercury in it)are two colors I don’t use.

Lead white is not made the same way it was 500 hundered years ago, so what we have as lead white is not what Rembrandt or Titian used.

Ultramarine, I think this was lapis lazuri which is very expensive, but it was in Titian’s day as well, which is why its was only used as a glaze.

I like to mix old pallets with some new colors such as cadmiums I find this is a good mix.

I have different palettes for different situations, such as landscape or still life.

I think one can get to caught up in all of this and if your not careful your using a lot of toxic materials.

Which become air born somewhat when you clean your brushes.

Titian certainly did obscure his working techniques, although modern technical analysis can shed some light on what pigments were used, and in what order.

I don’t think it’s that hard to re-create something close to a Renaissance palette. Flake white is still common. I have a tube of lead tin yellow and a tube of genuine vermillion from Robert Doak. The earth colors, for the most part, are still available. Ultramarine is now cheap. Azurite is expensive, but possible to get. Alizarin is similar to red lakes. If you are careful, you can have a palette that is functionally quite similar.

I don’t use a whole lot of Maroger. I don’t make it myself and I’m not too concerned with toxicity when using it, as I am pretty careful with studio technique. I find that it is occasionally useful for a particular passage.

I’m sorry that your Maroger paintings have cracked. I’m curious: how much of the stuff did you add to your paint? I am very careful to use only very small amounts of any medium. I have read that some of Maroger’s followers had trouble with problem paintings, while the paintings of others have survived in excellent condition to this day. I am wondering whether the difference is that some of them were too l iberal in their use of the stuff. I know some of them also used it as a final varnish, which seems incorrect to me.

I am aware of the Alchemist medium folks. I haven’t tried their products.

I do not think that Rubens used Maroger medium, although it is not impossible that he used some kind of gel medium (meglip). However, I don’t know of any evidence that black oil promotes cracking. I certainly don’t know of any reason why it would cause a lead ground to crack.

The list you have included is what I have found in my reasearch.

The pigments used then are so much different for what we use now.

I guess you could recreate a 16 century palette from a sorce such as Kreamer pigments but it would be pretty toxic.

Maroger:

I have a lot of experience with this stuff, have made it myself, do not recommend you do this. Very toxic.

Frank Mason has not used Maroger in over 20 years because it turns all light colors darker and has a tendency to crack.

He uses mediums from this company called Alchemist Inc, not sure you know this company but here is the link ambervarnish.com

I have not used it but I hear great things about it and its not as toxic as Maroger.

All my paintings done with Maroger have cracked.

Lead is a dryer, so adding more dryer to it and using at as ground will promote cracking.

Also the stuff turns all whites yellow.

“Rubens used black oil extensively and his paintings are generally in very good shape.”

Sorry my friend he did not use Maroger, yes there was lead in his medium but it was not Maroger’s recipe, check out ambervarnish.com it very interesting.